Hello!Need some advice on building a gaming rig. I have $500 I can put down on it...potentially more. Not much experience on building from scratch.Just upgraded hardware in store bought ones.I need help from top to bottom on this thing. Any input is appreciated. Thanks!*EDIT*So I think I'm going to go with:

Regarding the parts selection, you didn't mention exactly what you want to buy with that money. Is it just the case with everything that goes in it or do you need peripherals as well, perhaps even a monitor? Be a bit more specific just to avoid confusion.

nVidia video drivers FAIL, click for more infoDisclaimer: All answers and suggestions are provided by an enthusiastic amateur and are therefore without warranty either explicit or implicit. Basically you use my suggestions at your own risk.

RAM - Watch for newegg sales. 8GB DDR3 1600 @ 1.5V is the right direction, but you can get kits with 9-9-9-24 timings for $40 pretty regularly.

Windows License - Do you already have one? If not, it's a good idea to check with anyone you know that goes to college. College students can oftentimes get legit Windows discs for around $30. I won't include this in my subtotal for now._________________________________Subtotal = ~$415 (including that $70 case you listed that I hope we can find an alternative for)

The build is quite good for the money, i just have a few comments, hopefully they are constructive:

@CPUThe i5 3470, while a wonderfull selection for gaming according to this article, it kind of eats a lot of money from your budget. If the main purpose of the rig is strictly gaming, it would be wise to compromise here and invest more on the graphics card. Well unless you intend to upgrade the video card in a year or two or the games you intend to play (or the resolution at which you play them) do not require a beefier video card.

Also regarding the CPU, keep in mind it is a non K series which means it has a locked multiplier. This CPU cannot overclock.

@MotherboardI haven't read any reviews about it but also keep in mind that it has an H77 NB, which means that even if you install a K series CPU later down the road, it will not allow you to overclock it. If that's acceptable and if various reviews about the mobo do not raise any particular inherent issues with it's design then feel free to buy it.

Given the lousy timmings of that particular RAM, i'd suggest this instead. I know you chose the RAM from the TR guide, but prices and offers change quickly and it's only a guide, you can tweak it however you like depending on the time you buy the parts and the purpose for which you build the machine.

@CaseSince there are a slew of offerings i won't comment on taste, but i can suggest a few points that you should check to see if the case is right for you:- form factor compatibility (it's explained in the TR guide video);

- cooling/silence. This two go hand in hand. You want a case that has ample options for ventilation since if you have more fans you can set them to lower RPM (which translates into a more quiet sound during operation) while keeping the case just as cool as using fewer fans but with higher RPM.

The case needs to have, traditionally speaking on normal designs, a fan in front to intake air and cool the HDD and feed air for the video card, a fan in the rear to exhaust hot air from the CPU cooler (if you install a tower cooler that exhausts at the back), additionally 2 top fans (which depending on how you orient your CPU cooler, they could be set to either intake or exhaust air). Please use dust filters as well for the intake fans including for the PSU, most cases come with preconfigured filters, but if the case you choose doesn't have them be sure to buy and install them yourself.

On this point i should also mention the width of the case which determins if you can install or not certain after market coolers for the CPU. The particular case you chose is quite narrow and might restrict your selection of aftermarket tower coolers. My suggestion is to buy a case that has at least 200mm width or even better 210mm if you intend to go for air cooling;

- cable management, you want a case that has holes in the motherboard tray that allows you to route cables behind the tray. Read reviews about the particular case you want to buy to find out if they have enough space behind the tray to allow cables to be routed easily. Many entry level cases have the holes but the space behind can be quite small and restrictive.

nVidia video drivers FAIL, click for more infoDisclaimer: All answers and suggestions are provided by an enthusiastic amateur and are therefore without warranty either explicit or implicit. Basically you use my suggestions at your own risk.

Sulith wrote:CPU: I've looked at the CPU I want the Intel i5....and I really want it so I think I'll stick with it. Unless there is a same or less priced alternative processor that is equal to or better.

The i5's are the optimal choice for both performance and longevity because of their 4 physical cores if you've got the money to spend. I only suggested otherwise to meet your specified budget. I understand slightly exceeding a budget, but this sounds like your budget is more like $700. I agree with Arclight that you may want to consider stepping down to an i3 and putting the $80 savings toward a much more powerful GPU like the 7850 2GB for $175. If you stick with my Pentium G850, you could even afford a GTX 660 for $215. Ahh the possibilities are endless! (keep in mind that CPU article I linked earlier uses a 7970 for their benchmark tests.)

Sulith wrote:Case: I do not own the case, I just like Apevia products. I like the look of the case really. No special reason other than its ATX. Why?

Cases are mostly a matter of personal taste. The only reason I commented is for reasons that Arclight covered. Apevia is just not a popular brand of "well designed" cases like Corsair, Silverstone, Fractal Design, or even Cooler Master. If you've done your research and the case fits your needs, that's all you need. That case sure comes with a lot of included fans. Hopefully they're good.

The extra overclocking headroom that the 2500K affords is basically offset by the ~10% boost in IPC that the 3570K has over the 2500K. I would say that it's a wash there. The 3570K does have PCIe 3.0 and native USB3.0 support though. The native USB3.0 is really only helpful for installing windows from a USB3.0 flash drive and PCIe3.0 really only benefits in Crossfire/SLI setups which you're not doing.....so still a wash. The only difference is when you're running both at stock speeds (or at the same frequency) in which case the 3570K will be better.

I still recommend that Corsair CX430 PSU for the extra wattage especially if you'll be overclocking. The Antec 380 was fine when your rig included an AMD 7770, but check your current build on a PSU calculator and you'll need 430W with a GTX 660. That, and I've had bad experiences with two Antec Earthwatts 380s making a high pitched whining sound.

For the mobo - Do you need ATX, do you need a PCI (not "e") slot. What do you think of any of these?

DPete27 wrote:The extra overclocking headroom that the 2500K affords is basically offset by the ~10% boost in IPC that the 3570K has over the 2500K. I would say that it's a wash there. The 3570K does have PCIe 3.0 and native USB3.0 support though. The native USB3.0 is really only helpful for installing windows from a USB3.0 flash drive and PCIe3.0 really only benefits in Crossfire/SLI setups which you're not doing.....so still a wash. The only difference is when you're running both at stock speeds (or at the same frequency) in which case the 3570K will be better.

I still recommend that Corsair CX430 PSU for the extra wattage especially if you'll be overclocking. The Antec 380 was fine when your rig included an AMD 7770, but check your current build on a PSU calculator and you'll need 430W with a GTX 660. That, and I've had bad experiences with two Antec Earthwatts 380s making a high pitched whining sound.

For the mobo - Do you need ATX, do you need a PCI (not "e") slot. What do you think of any of these?

The only thing about the Corsair is that the CX models are..well kinda out of date. They have a couple new models out now.

For a gaming rig, you're definitely overspending on the CPU. The Corei5 2310 for $165 only has a 100 MHz slower boost clock than the 2500K. It's not unlocked, but CPU overclocking will gain you zip in modern games.

DPete27 wrote:The extra overclocking headroom that the 2500K affords is basically offset by the ~10% boost in IPC that the 3570K has over the 2500K. I would say that it's a wash there. The 3570K does have PCIe 3.0 and native USB3.0 support though. The native USB3.0 is really only helpful for installing windows from a USB3.0 flash drive and PCIe3.0 really only benefits in Crossfire/SLI setups which you're not doing.....so still a wash. The only difference is when you're running both at stock speeds (or at the same frequency) in which case the 3570K will be better.

I still recommend that Corsair CX430 PSU for the extra wattage especially if you'll be overclocking. The Antec 380 was fine when your rig included an AMD 7770, but check your current build on a PSU calculator and you'll need 430W with a GTX 660. That, and I've had bad experiences with two Antec Earthwatts 380s making a high pitched whining sound.

For the mobo - Do you need ATX, do you need a PCI (not "e") slot. What do you think of any of these?

The only thing about the Corsair is that the CX models are..well kinda out of date. They have a couple new models out now.

A typical system with a 660 GTX only draws 287W under load. Assuming there are enough amps on the main line, a good 380W PSU should suffice.

If you're really concerned about it, Newegg has the 500-watt version on sale right now for just $5 more before rebate (it's actually cheaper if you manage to get the rebate). This is significantly more power supply than is necessary for a system with a Radeon HD7850 2GB graphics card.$60 -10 code "EMCJHHB22" -20MIR Corsair CX500 (456 watts = 38 amperes @ +12 volts)

Well, plugging your system into a PSU calculator overclocked to 4.4GHz at stock voltage and 25% capacitor aging, I'm getting a recommended 430W PSU. Therefore, I'd suggest the Corsair CX430 since it's on sale for $20 after MIR. (it typically sells for $20 after MIR) You'll be hard-pressed to find any other decent PSU for cheaper.